Barque: Thomas Moore's Work

Projects and books by contemporary American writer of A Religion of One's Own, Gospel: The Book of Matthew, Care of the Soul.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Moore talks about stories, dreams and soul

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network offers Thomas Moore's talk, "How Can We Find the Meaning and Shape of Our Lives" as a free on-demand program in three audio formats. Moore speaks about "looking at our dreams and considering the stories we tell of our lives, our family, and the places we have been," and answers two questions about politics and spirituality from the audience. The Life Story Center at the University of Southern Maine celebrated its 20th anniversary on Wednesday 15 October 2008 with Moore as the featured speaker. His presentation was broadcast on 20 November 2008 and is archived on the network's site.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Hay House pitches book in 2009 catalogue

Hay House Inc., publisher of Thomas Moore’s next book, Writing in the Sand: Jesus & the Soul of the Gospels, offers this catalogue description (p. 9) to potential buyers for the book's launch in May 2009:

"In Writing in the Sand, Thomas Moore finds striking new meaning in the rich stories and imagery of the Gospels, recasting Jesus not as a teacher of morals and beliefs but as a spiritual visionary with a radical vision for humanity. This highly original take on the Gospels offers a fresh, new way of imagining human life and society. It presents Jesus not as the founder of a religion but as a world reformer offering a spiritual path to everyone, from every background. It offers a personal spirituality fit for the 21st century, where the individual bears responsibility for meaning and for a creative, convivial way of life."

"In his examination of the original Greek texts, Thomas Moore dismisses the cautionary voice of tradition and explores the deeper significance of language, stressing the origins of words and the many levels of meaning in stories and imagery. Through his study, he shows that the teachings of Jesusare challenging in a far different way than the moralism often associated with them. Based on being open to life, deepening your understanding, and giving up all defensiveness around your convictions, the Gospels can be the source of a new kind of certainty and stability that cannot be codified and enshrined in a list of rules. Writing in the Sand presents the essence of Jesus’s teachings and offers a way of understanding them intelligently and devotedly in the 21st century."

Listen to Moore's interview about work

ABC Radio National airs the New Dimensions Media interview with Thomas Moore about work on Wednesday 21 January 2009 at 12 noon and the following day at 1:00 a.m. You may download the 54 minute program, recorded earlier this year with Michael Toms, by scrolling to the middle of the linked page and clicking on:

"A soul mate is someone to whom we feel profoundly connected, as though the communicating and communing that take place between us were not the product of intentional efforts, but rather a divine grace."— Thomas Moore

Why Barque: Thomas Moore?

"What I'm trying to do is say lighten up and let life flow through you, and be on the waves as they go up and down. For me, a great image in mythology is
Tristan of Tristan and Isolde. He's out there on a little boat without an oar, without a rudder, on the Irish sea . . . You float your way. You drift. The essence
of my approach is to be extravagantly accepting and forgiving of yourself and others. Ride the waves and let life take you where it has good things for you." - Thomas Moore